The Vietnamese alphabet, unlike other Asian languages, uses the same alphabet as us. However, it contains some variations in form and pronunciation. We will see the letters that make up the Vietnamese alphabet and their pronunciation.
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There are 29 letters in the Vietnamese alphabet. Observe the 29 letters below, you will notice that Vietnamese does not have these 4 letters f, j, w and z. However, the alphabet contains 7 additional letters (1 consonant in green and 6 vowels in pink). These letters have a variation compared to English.
Vietnamese has 17 simple consonants and 11 compound consonants, totaling 28 consonants. Unlike French, some Vietnamese consonants are pronounced differently depending on their position in the word. The final consonants p, t, c, ch and nh are generally not pronounced but modify the vowel that precedes them. Here are the 21 pronunciations of the 28 consonants:
Pronunciation:
b
Consonant: b
like in "bar"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
k
Consonant: c, k, q
like in "cap"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
tch
Consonant: ch, tr
like in "ciao"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
z
Consonant: d, gi
like in "zero"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
d
Consonants: đ
like in "dada"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
g
Consonant: g, gh
like in "gala"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
h
Consonant: h
like in "hop!"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
kh
Consonant: kh
close to an "h" (without k)
Examples:
Pronunciation:
l
Consonant: l
like in "lent"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
m
Consonant: m
like in "mommy"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
n
Consonant: n
like in "noon"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
ng
Consonant: ng, ngh
like in "ping-pong"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
gn
Consonant: nh
like in "gnocchi"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
p
Consonant: p
like in "soup"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
f
Consonant: ph
like in "fun"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
j
Consonant: r
like in "yes" or "yellow"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
sh
Consonant: s
like in "shower"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
t
Consonant: t
like in "tear"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
th
Consonant: th
like in "tea"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
v
Consonant: v
like in "view"
Examples:
Pronunciation:
s
Consonant: x
like in "salt"
Examples:
The Vietnamese language has 11 simple vowels, which can be combined to form diphthongs. Unlike French, Vietnamese vowels generally maintain their pronunciation, regardless of their position in the word. Each vowel can carry one of the six tones, which changes its pitch and melody, creating a wide variety of sounds.
Vowel:
a
Pronunciation: a
like in "father"
Examples:
Vowel:
ă
Pronunciation: â
like in "ah"
Examples:
Vowel:
â
Pronunciation: oe
like in "uh"
Examples:
Vowel:
ê
Pronunciation: é
like in "café"
Examples:
Vowel:
e
Pronunciation: è
like in "fair"
Examples:
Vowel:
i, y
Pronunciation: i
like in "eat"
Examples:
Vowel:
o
Pronunciation: o
like in "go"
Examples:
Vowel:
ô
Pronunciation: ô
like in "rose"
Examples:
Vowel:
ơ
Pronunciation: ơ
like in "uh"
Examples:
Vowel:
u
Pronunciation: ou
like in "go"
Examples:
Vowel:
ư
Pronunciation: eu
like in "uh"
Examples:
The Vietnamese language standard composition is made up of 6 tones. Note that each syllable has only one tone. These tones modify the pitch and melody of the voice, changing the meaning of words. The same word pronounced with different tones can have completely different meanings. The mastery of tones is therefore essential for effective communication in Vietnamese.
Tone: không dấu
no tone
Examples:
Tone: dấu huyền
falling tone
Examples:
Tone: dấu ngã
broken rising tone
Examples:
Tone: dấu hỏi
dipping tone
Examples:
Tone: dấu sắc
rising tone
Examples:
Tone: dấu nặng
heavy falling tone
Examples: